Pics: Sphoorti Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Aug 13: Cracking the whip on the officials of Mangalore city corporation (MCC), the zilla panchayat and the public works department, deputy commissioner V Ponnuraj has threatened to withhold payments if they failed to complete the various pending development works efficiently.

Speaking at a meeting held at his office here on Thursday August 12 to review the progress of works under the calamity fund between 2003 and 2010, Ponnuraj lamented that over the past seven years, as many 1675 sanctioned works have remained incomplete thanks to the lax attitude of the engineers and officials.

He expressed his concern over the fact that as many as 573 works under the calamity fund were pending since 2006, especially as such works are to be completed in 40-50 days in order to qualify as calamity relief work.

He cautioned that payments will not be made without the production of quality works from the officials concerned and that notices in this regard would be sent to them in the days ahead. He even threatened to sack some of the officials if they failed to perform their duties as expected.

However, it was not just the incomplete works that angered him. Even in the 5,500 works that had been completed, there were several mistakes to be found. He thus demanded quality in the works that are currentluy under progress.